ARTICLE INTERVIEWIn the past 6 months, Dante has made the UK Top 10 Charts, sold more than 50,000 copies of his debut album, sold out the LG Arena along with staring in the best Pop magazine ever – Sound Burst.

How did you get started in music?As I was growing up I was more focused on practical subjects like music and drama instead of the more academic subjects. I followed my passion by joining the choir, drama clubs and a Youth Theatre called Stage 2. Stage 2 opened many doors for me and the coaches there really helped me gain self-confidence. It was actually my coach (Ellen Smith) who pushed me to start to perform in small pubs and gigs.

How did Stage 2/ fame changed you?Well, I was picked on all throughout school because I went to a majority white school. This made me ‘stand out’ along with how much I loved to sing and perform. I got quite a few nasty comments which really knocked my confidence and almost made me stop doing what I love. After I joined Stage 2, I completely changed. With the help of the coaches and my friends there I was so much happier and learnt not to care what other small minded people thought. I don’t see myself as ‘famous’ but as I have got noticed more and more I focus on staying true to myself. Happiness is key for me.

Besides music your personality also captures the attention of many, how would you describe it?Personally I can still see myself as the shy 14 year old who is full of butterflies when im around people I don’t know or if I’m about to perform, however I then remind myself of how far I’ve come and how lucky I am and that overall helps me to be as cheerful and happy as possible. Many people expect me -male pop artist- to be similar to someone like Justin Bieber, careless and crazy, but that’s totally the opposite of me.Is your image important to you as a pop star?Of course! I would absolutely hate to be wrongly presented as a bad role model to my fans but saying that, I’m definitely not caught up in the world of money – I still shop at the same places and wear whatever feels comfortable, I won’t change for the media.What was your motivation for your manager John?I thought this might get asked haha…Well he was a great manager but his thoughts and visons for me as an artist were something I was not comfortable with. As I said I plan on staying true to myself and just doing what makes me feel happy. He wanted me to go down the stereotypical ‘bad boy’ route by staging arguments and paparazzi stunts in order to gain more female fans and to create a buzz. I was definitely against this – its just not who I am. You have a large number of female fans as you must know, are you looking for someone special right now?I actually have a girlfriend…sorry girls! I tend not to make my relationship so public but its not a secret.

What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?29th January 2015! No doubt. The day my song ‘heart breaker’ made the UK Top 10. I was at my parents’ house, surrounded by family and friends all waiting for the chart to be announced. The amount of positive energy in the air was amazing! To see how proud the people around me were and

what advice would you give someone starting out in the music business?

Where do you get inspiration for your songs?

What was your most embarrassing moment? (how did you feel when …. )

What was your motivation for going to blah blah firing your manager?

You’ve played 6 times here…why do you keep coming back?

How did you feel when your song ‘ … ‘ reached the top 10?

Goals? What happens next? (last question)